From: Linus Oota , Lafia
A crisis has rocked the Nasarawa State chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) as Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and Concerned Civil Servants have pull out from the union.
They cited insensitivity, fraud and double standards in pursuit of workers welfare as reasons for their action.
Addressing journalists, in Lafia, the state’s President of NULGE, Comrade Abdullahi Abubakar, accused the leadership of NLC in the state of pursuing only the interest of state workers and not those of local government employees.
He said when local government workers were being paid their salaries in percentages for over a year and half, the leadership of NLC did nothing to address the situation only when state workers were involved that they started calling for solidarity.
According to him “I want to state categorically that Nasarawa state NLC injury to one is no longer injury to all, but injury to any individual is injury to that individual alone”
He added that as as a sensitive union, NULGE represents the interest of workers at the grassroots and would not condone such double standards, corruption and insensitivity meted out on its members.
Comrade Abubakar berated the state leadersdhip of the NLC for collecting money from government to organize May day celebration only to divert the funds and declare it a mourning day which has no bearing to local government workers.
He explained further that NULGE was not consulted before NLC entered into agreement with the state government to halt percentage payment and the union does not subscribe to it.
Similarly, another body, Concerned Civil Servants in the state called on the state government to pay workers with the available resources on the ground, saying waiting for months until government gets enough to pay 100 percent salaries does not serve the collective interest of workers.
The Chairman of the group, Comrade Ibrahim Mohammed said, “We, as concerned civil servants are urging Governor Umaru Tanko Almakura to pay workers’ with what is on the ground because our people are dying and starving
“We have no confidence in the labour leadership in the state who connive against the common interest of workers only to turn round and incite us against government, enough is enough” he stated.